The fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire is A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin. The epic fantasy novel continues the fight for the thrown and the right to rule Westeros. New heroes and villains emerge and Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons are centerstage. Keep reading to find out why you should read this series and this epic novel.
A Dance with Dragons Summary
Daenerys Targaryen finally has an army of her own as well as three dragons, the only ones in existence. But as her army grows, so do her enemies. As she makes her way to Westeros, Daenerys faces her own tribulations that may ruin her march towards her rightful throne.
Jon Snow is chosen as the commander of the Night’s Watch. It is up to him to lead them against the Others as the enemies try to cross the Wall. But that is not the only threat to Snow. He learns that his sister is in danger and he has to choose between the Night’s Watch or his family.
Tyrion Lannister has killed his father Tywin and now Tyrion has to flee Westeros. With some help, Tyrion is smuggled across the country but an old foe changes the path and destiny of Tyrion’s journey.
Commentary
As in the previous books before, this novel takes off as many major events take place. New characters are pushed to the forefront and the crown for the cruelest villain is once again up for grabs. Martin goes for shock value and that is evident is this novel as well which makes reading a bit difficult. The HBO T.V. show cut back on some of these scenes even though they did cause controversies at the time of airing.
A lot of the characters are either on their way to redemption or struggling to get there. But unlike previous novels, the destination for many of the characters is visible. Things are settling into place and the epic battles that we have been waiting for are finally about to take place.
Conclusion
A Dance of Dragons feels like a chess board when all the pieces have moved to the right spot and checkmate is around the corner. With two more novels left, there will be a lot that will change but things are about to be settled and some battles have been determined already. As many readers of the novel know, the next novel has been delayed for many years but with the recent release date, you can expect the long wait to be over as The Winds of Winter is coming.
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